1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a clutch lever arrangement for a motor vehicle clutch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Clutch levers for transmitting an actuating force to a clutch-release bearing, usually located around a gearbox input shaft of a gearshift mechanism, in which the clutch-release bearing is in working connection with the releasing spring of a friction clutch, are generally known. An arrangement of this type can be derived from, for example, DE 197 00 930 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,745, in which a clutch lever, in the form of a rocker, is pivotably supported on a ball joint on a gearbox wall. An actuating force for actuating a friction clutch can be introduced to this lever at the other end. The clutch lever shown there has an opening in the center of its length, which surrounds a releasing device mounted on a guide tube. So that the clutch lever can transmit the releasing force, it is in contact with a ring-shaped flange of the release bearing.
In this arrangement, it has been found to be disadvantageous that, in spite of the spring provided to exert a pretensioning force on the release bearing, the clutch lever can execute oscillating movements primarily in the vertical plane but also in other planes while the internal combustion engine is running and/or while the vehicle is moving. During these oscillations, forces can be exerted both on the clutch-release bearing and on an actuating element, such as the plunger of a slave cylinder. If the clutch lever is supported in a position which does not coincide with the vertical axis of the vehicle (see FIG. 3 of DE 197 00 930 A1), furthermore, the releasing device is subjected to at least some of the force exerted by the weight of the lever. Overall, therefore, undesirable wear phenomena occur, which reduce the service life of the clutch system, and in the case of a hydraulic actuation system, this wear can also lead to noticeable deflections of the clutch pedal, which the driver perceives as a bothersome trembling of the foot and which thus interferes with the convenience of operating the clutch.
The invention, proceeding from the state of the art, therefore has the object of reducing the undesirable vibrations of the clutch lever in a motor vehicle.